By CHRIS RUSSELL
Kentucky signee Charles Matthews and Chicago (IL) St. Rita took on city rival Chicago Simeon Friday night in a game televised on ESPN2.
With Kentucky head man John Calipari and assistants Barry “Slice” Rohrssen and Kenny Payne on hand, Matthews led St. Rita to a 51-46 upset over Simeon.
Matthews controlled the tempo, going for 17 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Simeon was led by Nebraska signee Ed Morrow, who had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Matthews was UK’s first commitment back in February and perhaps the least heralded recruit in a 2015 class which consists of top ranked players Skal Labissiere and Isaiah Briscoe, who opened his season Friday night with a win.
The St. Rita guard was the most active player of the night, often diving for loose balls and creating havoc on the defensive side.
Last Friday, Matthews led the Mustangs to an 80-61 win over St. Joes’s (IL), posting 32 points and 10 rebounds, displaying his capability of taking over offensively.
“Charles is one of the top 15 players in the country,” head coach Gary DeCesare told the Chicago Tribune. “People don’t understand everything he does on the court. He can control a game and score five points.”
Initially Matthews was a top 15, five-star recruit but has slipped to No. 64 in the rankings per Scout.com. A large part of the drop is due to injuries that occurred throughout this past spring and summer.
“If I needed him to score 30 points a game, he could score 30 points a game,” DeCesare added. “It is unfortunate everybody looks at points in a basketball game. There is a lot more to it.”
The 6-foot-5 Matthews is an explosive guard who is a great finisher at the rim and also has strong potential to be a lock-down defender. Matthews’ game resembles former Kentucky standout and Chicago native DeAndre Liggins.
Perhaps Matthews isn’t projected to be a future one-and-done but Calipari sees tremendous upside and potential from the talented guard.
“I first fell in love with Charles when I saw him playing with Tyler Ulis,” Calipari said. “What stuck out to me about him is he’s a great finisher who can get to the basket. Not only can Charles create shots for himself, he can create them for his teammates as well. He’s a 6-5 wing player with a lot of athleticism and is already an excellent defender. He’s a quality kid, a great student and he’s going to end up being a great player.”
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